Winter Salad with Farro
Salad and winter are two words that just don’t seem to go together. I mean, brrrr. However, this Winter Salad with Farro isn’t some flimsy amalgamation of summer lettuces.
This salad brings some crunch and chew with cold-season crops and farro.
Farro
For years I thought farro was the spiraled head of ferns yet to be unfurled. Silly me. That is a fiddlehead.
Farro is three types of wheat: einkorn, emmer, and spelt. If you do any kind of bread baking, I’m sure these names are familiar to you! These wheat varieties are ancient grains that have been around for a long time and have fed much of the world’s population for many centuries. They have recently gained notice and popularity in the U.S. and other parts of the western world.
The hulled wheat grains usually come with the bran removed, which shortens the cooking time. Boil the grains in water until they become softened and puffed. Add the cooked farro to soups, salads, or eat as is.
Nutritionally, farro contains good doses of vitamin B3, magnesium, and zinc. It is a good source of plant-based protein with 6 grams per one-fourth cup. Additionally, it's a heavy hitter in the fiber department.
What does it taste like? Farro has a nutty and woodsy flavor profile that is warm and earthy. It provides a satisfyingly chewy texture like other whole grains do.
Lessons Learned
- Most farro sold in the U.S. is pearled, meaning the hard bran has been removed. Check the back of the package to follow the cooking times listed. Cook it on the stove, in a pressure cooker/instapot, or crockpot.
- Lacinato kale is sometimes called dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale. It is the darker, thinner, and more tender cousin of curly kale. If you can’t find it, you can sub in curly kale but the texture won’t be the same.
- I like the riot of colors in this salad. It’s perfect for brightening up a dreary winter day. But, if you’d rather use green cabbage instead of purple, parsnips instead of carrots, or nuts instead of pomegranate, I won’t mind. You’re an adult, so do what you want.
Hat Tips
Many thanks to Fed and Fit for the winter veggie coleslaw recipe.
Winter Salad with Farro
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Salad:
- 4 cups lacinato (dinosaur) kale, destemmed and chopped
- 3 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 cups carrots, grated
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- 2 cups farro, cooked and cooled
Dressing:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp almond butter
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Assemble the salad by combining the kale, cabbage, and carrots in a large bowl. Toss in the pomegranate arils and farro. Gently stir to mix together.
- Make the dressing by combining the soy sauce, garlic, almond butter, lemon juice, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small mason jar or screw-top jar. Shake together until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Depending on how saucy you like your salad, you might not use all of the dressing.
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